Talk:Smuggling tunnel

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This article is incorrectly named. It is obviously not about smuggling tunnels in general, it is about smuggling tunnels in Gaza Strip, hence should be named Gaza Strip smuggling tunnels or something similar. Any objections? -- Viajero 07:58, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC)

  1. Though the article deals mainly with Rafah's tunnel, information about other tunnels can be added.
  2. This name is the most natural, and when one wants to find\link to Rafah's smuggling tunnels, it is straight foward to type smuggling tunnels whether than anything else.
  3. I don't think change is neccessery since there are no disambig or too much text in this article.
MathKnight 16:35, 16 Jul 2004 (UTC)


Although I concur that this article is (a good and solid one) about the smuggling tunnels in Gaza, it might be expanded anytime with info on other tunnels. However, I must disagree it being listed in the category: Israel-Palestine Geography, as it hardly belongs to any class of geographical features. leandros 21:03, 22 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Tunnels as pretext for demolitions

The respected international organization Human Rights Watch has just released a major report on house demolitions in Rafah. The report devotes extensive space to analyzing the tunnel issue and concludes that they are a pretext for demolitions in Rafah, for several reasons:

-The Israeli military has apparently failed to explore less destructive tunnel detection and neutralization methods that could be used on the Gaza/Egypt border. Such techniques would obviate destructive incursions into the camp.

-Until 2003, the Israeli military did not attempt to collapse tunnels but merely bulldozed homes covering tunnel entrances. According to tunnel experts interviewed by HRW, this technique is so patently ineffective that it raises questions as to the seriousness of the Israeli military.

-The Israeli military has claimed to have found 100 tunnels in Rafah since 2000. When questioned further, they admitted to finding 100 tunnel entrances, many of which connect to the same tunnels.

-HRW also documents several cases where the IDF destroys groups of homes around tunnels that were already sealed by the PNA or were otherwise inoperative.

Instead, the evidence suggests that Israel is destroying homes in order to create a "buffer zone" in the area to ensure its long-term control over Gaza, even after disengagement. High-level Israeli officials have made public statements to this effect. Aware that a one-off mass demolition would provoke international outrage, the Israelis instead are working towards this goal piecemeal.

The report, which is based on interviews with Rafah residents, the IDF, independent tunnel experts, foreign diplomats and international officials, as well as extensive satellite imagery, can be found at: www.hrw.org/campaigns/gaza

Update In April 2005, Ha'aretz reported that as early as 1990, Israeli scientists proposed creating a "seismic fence" consisting of sensors planted in the ground that would detect tunnels where they crossed the border and obviate demolitions -- confirming the analysis of tunnel experts interviewed by HRW. The article describes how the IDF has, for unclear reasons, consistently dragged its feet on this issue. The article quotes Amiram Levine, former head of the IDF northern command: "I find it extremely peculiar ... How is that so much time has passed, and an operational solution hasn't yet been found? We're talking about Zionism here, not money. I'm certain the problem could have been solved through technology, at reasonable cost, and on a much tighter timetable. This isn't the Ron Arad mystery."

[edit] ps

Moussa Arafat is listed as newphew and cousin. this should be either corrected or explained.

He's also (recently) deceased. This has been noted.

[edit] Berlin Wall

Some escaped from East Berlin via smuggling tunnels. Socafan 22:53, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Link

the first link is to an article that no longer exists or is in the archive....